


shine on till tomorrow

by yurishika



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Canon Related, Comfort, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-27
Updated: 2014-04-27
Packaged: 2018-01-21 00:05:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1530665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yurishika/pseuds/yurishika
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yuzuru may not be able to solve the problem, but the least he can do is to make Michael feel better, even just a little bit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	shine on till tomorrow

There’s something wrong with Michael right now. Yuzuru may not be as receptive to these things as Daisuke or even Tatsu and Taka are, but he guesses that he knows Michael better than them to sense that there’s something bothering the younger one. It’s the downcast eyes and the downturned lips that gave it away, and that’s something that’s out of place because Michael’s visiting him in Sendai right now and he should be excited about being taken out and being shown around.

“Everything okay?” he asks after dinner, when they’re both curled up in bed, Michael absentmindedly staring up at the ceiling. Yuzuru had invited Michael to take care of his Pokémon in 3DS, to which Michael refused, which is weird because Michael can never say no to hogging the 3DS when they’re together and have nothing else to do.

“Hmm?” Michael says in a soft voice, his gaze still on the ceiling.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Yuzuru asks, propping himself up with his elbow so he can have a good view of Michael. “You can tell me anything, you know.”

There’s a deep, heavy sigh from the younger man and he shifts so that he’s facing Yuzuru. He’s biting his bottom lip, as if he’s trying hard not to cry. “It’s unfair,” he says, his voice cracking. “Life’s unfair.”

And Michael starts talking in between sobs. He and his mother had that talk again, apparently, about the future, the next four years. How there might not be a next time in a competition. How they might never stand on the same podium in Pyeongchang, not like what they pinky-promised each other as they gazed at the view of Sochi for the last time.

For the second time in his life, Yuzuru feels helpless. He wishes he can do something, anything to help Michael with his problem. But he’s got his own expenses to worry about, and he’s sure Michael wouldn’t want to receive anything from him.

“It’s just,” Michael sniffs, pulling the sheets closer to him, “I can’t just give up skating. It’s my life.”

“I know.” Yuzuru reaches out and takes Michael in his arms, letting the younger one bury his face in his chest.

“It’s just not fair,” Michael sobs again, and Yuzuru can feel his shirt getting wet, but he doesn’t care. “Not fair at all.”

Yuzuru presses a kiss to Michael’s hair and lets the younger one cry out his frustrations, and when Michael’s sound asleep, he whispers, “I’m sorry,” because he wishes he knows what to do.

 

 

 

 

Yuzuru might not be able to help Michael with whatever it is he’s going through, but he can at least make him feel a bit better. That much he decided as soon as he woke up the next day. “I’m taking you out today,” he announces over breakfast, Michael listlessly struggling to eat his breakfast with chopsticks.

“It’s a great day to go to the park,” Saya suggests, her back turned to them as she tunes in to the NHK morning drama. “The cherry blossoms are still in full bloom.”

Yuzuru grins gratefully at his sister. “Good idea.” He nudges Michael, who almost spills his miso soup. “Let’s have a walk around, okay?”

Michael forces a smile. “Sure,” he says.

The streets are busy by the time he and Michael step outside, and Yuzuru has to hold Michael’s hand tightly to prevent losing Michael from his sight. Michael obediently follows, eyes drifting to every direction, taking in the unfamiliar sights. He can’t help but occasionally look over his shoulder just to check if Michael’s okay, and he mentally crosses his fingers, hoping that his plan in cheering him up will work.

“Where are we going?” Michael asks when it feels like they’ve been walking without any particular direction.

To be honest, Yuzuru doesn’t know. He doesn’t have any plan in mind before leaving the house, a list of places running in his mind before taking Michael to the park, but he has no particular destination. He thought he could just wing it, but maybe it was a bad idea.

“How about let’s get lunch? I know this great restaurant where they serve really great beef tongue?”

There’s no mistaking the rapid blinking in the younger one. “We just had breakfast,” he points out.

Yuzuru almost face palms, but he does it mentally anyway. “How about some ice cream, then?”

There’s an ice cream parlor just across the store where Yuzuru gets his blades sharpened. Yuzuru orders a large sundae for them to share, and he’s glad that a smile spreads to Michael’s face as they help scrape the hot fudge. Yuzuru takes it as a sign to chat about anything but figure skating, and Michael looks like he feels a bit better to chat about a bit about life at home.

“If I quit skating,” Michael tells him, popping the cherry in his mouth, “I’m gonna be a singer or a dancer.”

Yuzuru can’t help but laugh at that; he can’t imagine Michael giving up the sport that they have grown up and come to love. But, “How about you sing for me?” he asks. “Let me be the judge of that.”

Michael laughs and shakes his head. “Not when all these people are around!” he says.

“Okay, okay, never mind.” Yuzuru puts his hands up in surrender. “But you sing for me when we’re alone.”

Michael looks away, his cheeks pink. “Deal.”

 

 

 

 

They walk all over the town, Yuzuru showing Michael around, telling stories of his childhood as he shows every hangout place with friends, the temple he frequents to pray for luck before a competition, his grade school and his high school. Yuzuru drags him to the craft park, and they buy each other dolls that they have the people in charge design to look like each other. Then after a quick lunch of beef tongue with sasakamaboko in Yuzuru’s favorite restaurant, they head to the Pokémon Center, and he has to restrain Michael from buying everything in sight.

Michael’s mood had lifted somewhat, his smile more sincere. Yuzuru feels relieved, allowing their fingers to twine as they walk to one last destination.

“You’ll,” Yuzuru tells Michael as they walk on. “And besides, your trip to Japan in spring won’t be complete without seeing cherry blossoms.”

Just as he expected, Michael gapes in awe as soon as they step in Nishi Park, surrounded by cherry blossom trees. He allows Michael to let go of his hand in favor of taking slow steps, taking in the beauty all around him. Yuzuru watches, his heart pounding fast at the sight of Michael’s sense of wonder; he’s beautiful, like this.

Michael looks over his shoulder, smile wide. “It’s beautiful,” he says, voice barely above a whisper.

Yuzuru can’t help but smile back before holding out his hand. “Let’s walk on?”

They walk and stop by the lake, cherry blossom petals scattered all over its surface. They drop all their bags and lean against the trunk of the nearby tree, basking in the beauty of their surroundings, matched with the setting sun. Yuzuru shifts closer so that their arms are touching, neither one of them moving away.

“Yuzuru?” Michael says, softly that Yuzuru almost doesn’t hear him.

“Hmm?” When Yuzuru turns to look, Michael’s gaze is at the lake, his smile peaceful.

“Thank you,” he replies. “I feel much better now.”

“Hmm.” An idea comes to Yuzuru’s mind, and he feels the smirk crossing his lips. “Not quite. You know another thing that can make you feel better?”

“What?”

Yuzuru spins so that he’s facing Michael, hand on the trunk to pin Michael against it. And then his leaning forward, brushing his lips against Michael’s. The younger one sighs and holds onto him as if he’s going to keen any minute, opening his mouth just a little. Yuzuru thinks the world has gone silent, the only sounds being their hearts racing as one.

He pulls away after what feels like hours, his lips hovering on Michael’s forehead before their gazes meet, Michael’s eyes droopy post-kiss. “Hey,” he says, letting their fingers entwine once more. “I can’t help with what you’re going through, and I wish I can, but everything’s going to be okay. You have tons of people supporting you, okay? I’m definitely going to see you in Pyeongchang.”

Michael’s eyes look like they’re welling up, but he doesn’t cry, only squeezes Yuzuru’s hand tighter. “Yeah,” he says with a nod. “It will.”

They stay like that for a little bit, sharing light kisses every now and then, until Yuzuru reluctantly decides that it’s time to go home. There’s a certain lightness to Michael’s step now, and he’s glad he’s able to lift a weight off his shoulders.

**Author's Note:**

> \- cross-posted to [taisetsukotoba @ LJ](http://taisetsukotoba.livejournal.com/2524.html) and mizurumonday @ Tumblr  
> \- the title is taken from _let it be_ by the beatles.  
>  \- this is written given recent events in mcm, and i just want to say that i’ll be supporting this bb 100% in our own way.  
> \- in that line of conversation, tropical frost will be holding a support project for michael. please check tropical-frost.com and TropicalFrost @ twitter for updates.


End file.
